Young Writers Project is a creative, online community of teen writers and visual artists that started in Burlington in 2006. Each week, VTDigger publishes the writing and art of young Vermonters who post their work on youngwritersproject.org, a free, interactive website for youth, ages 13-19. To find out more, please go to youngwritersproject.org or contact Executive Director Susan Reid at sreid@youngwritersproject.org; (802) 324-9538.
“Keep that ball off my lawn!” gives us the stereotype of the crotchety old man on his porch, shooing away innocent children rather than trespassers, but in reality the type to post up in front of their house on a fine summer’s day often turn out to be the most neighborly of all — not to mention observant. This week’s featured poet, Naomi Segal of Woodstock, takes a seat on her deck and watches as the world goes by.
Watching
Naomi Segal, 13, Woodstock
I am up
with the sun.
An ancient plate
in danger of breaking
holds pancakes
and fruit.
I wait.
I watch.
The earliest wakers
all have dogs.
Later,
large gaggles
of kids
meander
toward the bus stop
while their younger siblings
race
with too-big backpacks
bouncing
with every bound.
Then
there is quiet,
pierced by bird conversation
and babies crying
on their walks
with their parents.
At lunch,
a field trip
in bright green t-shirts
wanders by.
Three o’clock
brings back yellow buses
and tired kids.
At 5,
the ice cream truck
lures kids
to its jingling window.
More dog walkers
come by
and slowly
the day
ends
where
it
started.
My pancakes
took
all day
to eat,
and grew cold.
Now
I am back,
wrapped in a fleece blanket
on my porch.
